Title

Authors

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

Past research has suggested that there is a special neural connectivity between the olfactory cortex, amygdala and hippocampus that is related to the connection between smell, emotion and memory (Herz & Cupchik, 1995). This experiment looked at the differences in memory recognition and memory recall between conditions with a pleasant or unpleasant scent and a positive or negative emotional state. Intrusion errors were used to estimate connections between odor, emotion, and memory. Results found that intrusion errors were equally likely to occur between all sources, suggesting source confusion. However, the specific source of the confusion did not affect memory. These results suggest that the relationship between odor, emotion and memory may not be as direct as previously thought or that these relationships are limited to autobiographical memory.